


Checkmate

by UzbekistanRules



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch Era, Overwatch Era, Remembered Emotional Trauma, dad!Gabriel, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 17:19:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10575903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UzbekistanRules/pseuds/UzbekistanRules
Summary: Jesse accidentally shows up Gabriel. One of them is unhappy about it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this](http://pmendicant.tumblr.com/post/154819459946/hit-the-road-chapter-4-no-need-to-be-afraid) pic by the lovely sassbinders!

“Check,” Jesse said with all the confident swagger he usually felt during a mission. The black rook was placed firmly on the board and he sat back, crossing his arms over his chest to allow the audience and his opponent see the latest move. It was the closest that Jesse had yet come to beating Gabriel Reyes in chess and he was going to savor this short lived victory before he got his butt wiped as he usually did. This was just another Wednesday night in the Blackwatch quarters, when they weren’t on duty. He and Gabriel played chess so Jesse could better learn how to think tactically.

“Huh,” was all Gabriel said as he surveyed the board. The crowd seemed to hold their breath. Jesse’s smile was smug. This was the fourth check this game. Gabriel was really slipping if he let himself get checked that much! “Jesse, that’s checkmate.”

Jesse’s gut twisted up as he saw just what Gabriel saw. A knight and the newly placed rook had cornered the white king. He hadn’t meant to- the smug feeling dissipated, leaving dread in its wake. He wasn’t supposed to have- He didn’t mean to- Whatever Gabriel was saying was lost in fear and horror. He had to get out of here. He had to get out of here  _ now. _ He beat the boss in front of everyone. He shouldn’t have done that, he should have-

He had to clear away his mistake. With a panicked motion, Jesse swept the board and the pieces onto the floor and nearly fell out of his chair in his haste to get away. Put as much distance as he possibly could, hide himself away so no one could find him and take it out on him. Jesse shoved aside Landrum and Traes as he ran, down one hall, cut through this room, doubled back and went a different direction- if he didn’t know where he was going then chances were that Gabriel couldn’t find him either. All he knew was that he had to make sure that his boss could have a chance to cool down. That way, when people finally found him he might have a slight chance on keeping his life... if nothing else.

He didn’t know how he got into the air vent and tucked himself up into a neat little ball. He didn’t know when he started crying. He didn’t know when he had chewed his nails to the quick. He didn’t know why he started muttering ‘damnit’ to himself. He didn’t know how Gabriel found him, but found he was. It was too soon. Gabriel had found him too soon and now he was going to get punished for his mistake.

“Jesse? Is that you? How did you even get up there.” Gabriel didn’t sound mad but that could be a ruse. He had seen his boss be the sweetest guy ever until you slipped and then he became a mean son of a bitch. The tone of Gabriel’s voice meant nothing.

“I’m sorry!” Jesse wailed, curling his body even tighter. As if it would help reduce Gabriel’s anger.

But he just sounded... confused? Why would he sound confused? “You’re sorry? What the hell for?”

“You’re a tactical genius and  _ I _ beat  _ you _ at chess. I screwed up- I wasn’t thinking- I didn’t think I could- I showed you up in front of  _ everyone _ \- And you can’t show up the boss you  _ can’t _ \- because... it doesn’t matter how useful you are if-”

Unbidden, a memory came to him. Of a man in the Deadlock gang, who had gotten more kills than their boss, who argued with him. Jesse had seen that man die that day, shot down like a dog and all because he had the gall to be better than Ol’ Surehand. That was the first time Jesse had seen a dead body, at the tender age of fourteen. That singular reminder put the fear of god into him, made him good but not great at everything he put his hand to. He had to make sure that he didn’t show the boss up.

Until today.

Until he fucked right the hell up and broke his one and only rule: don’t make yourself better than the person in charge.

Gabriel was going to send him to jail at the very least. If he were feeling generous. If he wasn’t... then he’d probably take Jesse somewhere far away from the base and make him dig a shallow grave before shooting him in the head. Beat him black and blue first? Break his hands, dig out his eyes, yell and scream at him-

“Jesse, I’m not mad at you.”

“What?” That... wasn’t the expected reaction. It was quite the opposite, as a matter of fact.

“I’m  _ proud _ \- you played well. I’m never going to punish you for doing a good job at something.”

Gabriel... sounded sincere enough. Very carefully Jesse scrubbed the tears from his face and opened the vent, just enough to peek out to see Gabriel’s face. He... really didn’t look angry. Was he sincere? Only time could tell. For now, Jesse had to trust that his boss was saying what he meant. He hadn’t ever lied to Jesse before now, after all.

He still had to check though. “You’re sure you’re not mad?” Jesse asked timidly.

Now there was a bit of exasperation on Gabriel’s face. “ _ Yes. _ Now c’mon out of that vent, it’s fuckin’ cold.”

Jesse gulped. He didn’t want to make Gabriel any angrier than he might have possibly been so he did as he was told. But... he’d stay away from showing his boss up any time soon. Just to be safe. Throw every game from here on out. Shoot a little worse, make dumb mistakes. Placate Gabriel so he would know that Jesse knew his place.

It was the only way a cowboy like him knew how to survive.


End file.
